


In the Cold

by Shuttering_Flutterflies



Series: Under-and-Overtale [1]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Genocide Run, It's different on purpose, Papyrus is different from canon Papyrus, Someone please beta this for me oh my Lord, Still ends the same tho, yeah - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-11
Updated: 2016-03-11
Packaged: 2018-05-26 03:23:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6221647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shuttering_Flutterflies/pseuds/Shuttering_Flutterflies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He waits. He always does.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In the Cold

It was snowing and Papyrus waited.

He didn't speak, which would have shocked more people than he knew (having net himself a reputation for being a loudmouth) and didn't move, just stared ahead, feeling the distant pulse of his magic, waiting for him to act.

Waiting, just what he was doing right now, waiting for the human to arrive, to attempt to stop them as best as he could. The human... Chara, they had told him their name was (something about that name sounded so familiar) was the reason for his silence. They didn't look okay, they didn't act okay. The dust coating them, the dust he couldn't pretend to be anything but monster dust after he heard the strangled cry of Snowy, the poor runaway who's father worked with Sans, and then the human strolled towards them, smiling lazily, who had most likely killed everyone in Snowdin that hadn't fled, the fact that they were familiar to him, so familiar, just like the feeling of standing in this very spot, waiting for them, much less concerned and frightened.

Papyrus' neck hurt and he rubbed it, half-wishing the human would arrive already. Every second they didn't turn up in front of him was a second they could be spending murdering another innocent... No, he had to have faith in them!

He nodded firmly. That was it! They weren't here, because they were out apologising and not murdering at all. Maybe, the weight of their sins had gotten them down, and they were in need of a friend to cheer them up! Yes, that was it. He should go to them, and let them know he'd be there for them as they made up for their actions, and check in with Sans and let his brother know he wasn't dead. Yes, he should go do that!

Papyrus didn't move. He stared ahead, still trying to hold on to the image of the human, merciful and kind (and so familiar), and tried to work up the courage to search for them.   
"If I leave," he said aloud, voice lacking it's normal confidence and loudness, "I might miss them. And then, what kind of a friend would I be? NOT A GREAT ONE AT ALL!" He managed to raise his voice louder as he finished speaking, and wondered if the human could hear him.

There! If they heard him, they'd know where he was and come find him, he'd cheer them up and take them back to his house for some hot chocolate and hugs, then send them off on their merry way. He wouldn't have to give their Soul to Alphys, she'd be so impressed he'd become the new Royal Scientist and-

His dream crumbled around him, the imagined smiling faces of his friends vanishing and leaving him, cold and alone. Then what? Alphys can finally get a break from the weight of her sins, he can maybe undo his mistakes and then he makes up for everything he did wrong, for his Love that caused Sans to flinch and stare at him in horror when he first became the Judge (that look haunted his nightmares still), for the slow onset of horror as his father crumbled to dust, his face still frozen in the look of fear and love, for the years of trying to control his magic, that one conversation he overheard burning in his mind, too afraid of Sans in case he had been deemed 'too dangerous'?  
For the first time in a while, Papyrus wasn't sure if he could make up for an act no one could remember. No one was punishing him for it, even Sans, who's life had been ruined by him, didn't seem to hold any ill-bearings towards him. Feeling small, despite his height, and weak despite his strength, Papyrus tried to figure out what would happen after he became the new scientist.

What was it he said? "For Alphys." She was to tired, folding in on her own fear and self-hatred, and he didn't know how to help her, how to make the shadows following her leave her alone, but he knew her keeping her job would lead to disaster one way or another. "For Sans." Sans reminded him of Alphys, but he had caused that, caused Sans to lose his hope andif he could do this, if he could survive this and change their ways, get the promotion he desired, he could undo it all and make him happy. "FOR THEM." If he did this, they would be back, rescued from their hellish fate. That was it! Remembering this cheered him up, and he fought down the urge to pose, lest the human walk down and he'd have to unpose and gie the a hug, wasting valuable time. He also ignored the small voice telling it wasn't that easy, that Alphys would only get worse, that he was only doing this for himself and not for his loved ones, and so he laughed loudly to hide it. So, so loudly.

Sans was going to get worried if he wasn't back soon. He'd looked so tense when Papyrus had left, desperately pleading for him to stay, holding on to the scarf around his neck anxiously, and talking, low and sad, reminding him that the human would most likely kill him. He knew this, and he had went anyway. Everyone deserved second chances. Everyone could change. He had changed. He wasn't the same skeleton he had been before... If he could become a better person, so could the human!

Where was the human? He was going to be late to Alphys' detestable anime club, and she'd get annoyed at him. The human couldn't be that upset that they couldn't continue, could they? Before he could stop himself, visions of the sobbing human punishing themself with their weapon pushed to the centre of his mind, and he decided to go fetch them now.  
He didn't move. Not because he was too scared, or because he had frozen to the ground, but because he could hear the sound of feet crunching over the snow towards him. It was the human, and they weren't crying or showing any sign of feeling bad.

That was okay! he told himself, faking confidence to hide his fear. Drawing himself up tall, he began his carefully prepared speech (something he'd learned from Undyne, the woman Alphys was friends with), making sure to be loud, like the human would expect him to be.

"HALT, HUMAN!" he began, only to notice the human had already stopped walking towards his. That was good. They couldn't kill him from that far away (not that they would, of course, not when he was finished with them), and in the time it took for them to attack him if they did choose too, he could summon a Gaster Blaster and fire. Not that that would happen, or course. Just in case, he told himself reassuringly.

The human smiled slightly and moved forwards. How rude! He had just told them to stay put, and here they were, moving towards him, smirking slightly. He held on to his magic, still ready to fire if he needed too, making sure to raise his defences, because it didn't look like he was going to stop them with words alone. Maybe, he could fire a warning shot...?  
He continued on, hoping they wouldn't come any closer. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to fire at them in time, and his manners were practically screaming at him to let the human make the first move. "HEY, QUIT MOVING WHILE I'M TALKING TO YOU!" They obeyed him this time, and he relaxed a little, continuing on with this speech. "I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE SOME THINGS TO SAY." Still no movement, so he continued on.

"FIRST: YOU'RE A FREAKING WEIRDO!" Harsh, but true. As far as most monsters were concerned, no normal person would murder an entire village. The human smiled simply at his comment, a kinder, fonder smile. Encouraged by this response, he went on. "NOT ONLY DO YOU NOT LIKE PUZZLES, BUT THE WAY YOU SHAMBLE ABOUT FROM PLACE TO PLACE... THE WAY YOUR HANDS ARE COVERED IN DUSTY POWDER." Snowy, Dogamy, Lesser Dog, Doggo, whoever was living inside the Ruins. "IT FEELS... LIKE YOUR LIFE IS GOING DOWN A DANGEROUS PATH."

No response.

This was going well. The human was still far enough away that he could defend himself if he needed too, they were still smiling peacefully and lovingly, dare he say, at him, and their knife was gone as well!

"HOWEVER! I, PAPYRUS, SEE GREAT POTENTIAL WITHIN YOU!" They nodded slightly at this, and he hoped that they meant what he meant. "I TOO, KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE ALONE," he tugged at his sleeves before continuing. "IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE LIKE THIS. YOU CAN BE A BETTER PERSON, I PROMISE. WE CAN ALL CHANGE, AND YOU HAVE TO TRY! PLEASE! EVERYONE CAN BE A GOOD PERSON, AND YOU CAN DO IT! I BELIEVE IN YOU!"

The humans smile grew and Papyrus told himself it was because they were happy to hear that from him. Yes, that had to be it! He continued telling himself that as they moved closer towards him, despite his fear.

"I SEE," his voice wavered and he fought to regain control, "I SEE THAT YOU ARE APPROACHING. ARE YOU OFFERING A HUG OF ACCEPTANCE? WOWIE! I SEE MY LESSONS ARE ALREADY PAYING OFF! I WELCOME YOU HUMAN, AND I'LL HELP YOU THROUGH THIS!"

The human fit gently into his arms, tiny hands scraping against bone, Papyrus trying not to shake, and hoping to whatever deity was watching that they would stop, they had too... He had never been good at reading other people, but even now he knew that this hadn't been his smartest idea.

Nothing had happened. He and the human were still hugging, and for a second, he began to feel relieved, hoping that the human had changed their mind

and then their hands tore into his neck, severing it completely in two.

It hurt slightly when his head fell to the ground, nestled slightly in the cold snow, showered in his own blood. It didn't hurt as much as he thought it would. How odd. From what he had heard about, dying was meant to painful. At least, they seemed to act as if it was agony, but here he was. Nyeh heh heh, this must have been how they felt when he...

"WELL, THAT'S NOT WHAT I EXPECTED," he said quickly, refusing to entertain that thought for a minute longer. And he was right, up until the last second, he'd been expecting to be attacked, but he was so sure he'd survive, and yet, here he was. How funny. "BUT, ST-STILL!" he went on, gazing pleadingly at the silent human, "I BELIEVE IN YOU!" Please don't hurt anyone else don't hurt Sans don't hurt Alphys don't hurt anyone else just let it end here I know you can do it "YOU CAN TO A LITTLE BETTER! I PROMISE!" He went on to mention how he knew what it was like, and he had gotten past it and they could too, beg them not to hurt anyone else, whatever he could say first, but their foot swung towards them, and he wondered if that bully he had when he was younger and his voice really was that annoying.

He hoped that dog didn't steal his attacks.

**Author's Note:**

> A lot of this won't make sense right now, but there's more to come, and hopefully that will clear things up. You can find more at my Tumblr, [ Shuttering-Flutterflies](http://shuttering-flutterflies.tumblr.com/)


End file.
